July 20, 2010: DIY Protospiel?

John from London read the Daily Illuminator report on Protospiel, and wondered if there were any such gatherings near him. "Darned good question!" I said, which is what I usually say when I have no idea of the answer. So I asked Jonathan Leistiko, who organized Protospiel South. He dug up a pair of links.

• The International Game Inventors Fair is held the first weekend of November in Munich.
• Vienna Game Academy holds events in Austria.

More events of this nature undoubtedly exist; however, due to their workshop nature, publicity isn't their top priority. But if you know of a "playtesting convention" in your area, feel free to mention it on our forums. We've got a section just for gatherings of gamers.

Of course, if you don't have a Protospiel-like gathering near you, why not organize one yourself? Jonathan put his event together for a minimal investment, and the website still exists so you can ask him questions.

(By the way, the crew who attended the Ann Arbor event earlier this month reported a great time. They may not have found the next Must Have Game, but they had loads of fun, playing new games and discussing mechanics, print buying, design theory, and the nature of constructive criticism.)

-- Paul Chapman